AMC answers why they pulled Hatchet II
After a historic proposal of bringing a horror unrated (well, not rated by the MPAA) in Adam Green’s Hatchet II to a mass market for the first time in 25 years seemed like an amazing feat and opportunity for horror fans, was met with 60 screens and an opening weekend of $55,000 +/-. Now, AMC who granted distributor Dark Sky Films that release pattern, began pulling Hatchet II from Canadian screens and then American screens.
Their response? “At AMC theaters, we review all films in all of our theatres every week and then make our business decisions based on their performance (via EW).” In their very brief response, it’s assumed that the less than $60k in three days was the reason. If that’s the case, then we can only blame horror fans. You wanted real, unrated horror…you got it, well not anymore. But to play Devil’s Advocate, those 60 screens probably didn’t hit the right markets.
Adam Green offered up some interesting thoughts (via First Showing): “I assume it probably had something to do with the controversy online about an unrated movie playing in theaters,” says the director. “To me, the whole thing is unfortunate because this is not a movie that deserves to be unrated. It’s a very funny, silly slasher movie about a swamp ghost that’s killing people in ridiculous ways. And now it’s become, you know, ‘Banned from cinemas.’ I’ve lost 11 pounds in the last week from stress.”
I’m sure Dark Sky Films will get the Blu-ray and DVD to fans, since the first film was such a hit on the format, the success for this sequel is still guaranteed.
What are your thoughts about this situation?
If HATCHET II is unrated, then PIRANHA 3D is SUPER UNRATED.
Well, at least now Dark Sky has a great marketing campaign on their hands for the DVD release. “Banned from theaters!”
As a horror fan, this makes me sick. Horror fans complain about not getting anything original and only remakes. When they don’t support the original horror, it won’t be made. They have no right to complain the next time a remake of their favorite horror film from the 1980′s is remade. This is something that can be backed up by numbers. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET made $63,075,011 domestic, FRIDAY THE 13th made $65,002,019. Heck even a lesser title like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT made $32,752,215.
The numbers don’t lie. Horror fans don’t want original, unrated horror.
Jason Bené Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Most, but not all horrors fans, are a fickle and hypocritical bunch. Too busy downloading shit and sitting in their momma’s basement complaining about everything on message boards.
Jon Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Hell yeah, Jason! I put my $ where my mouth is. I support people like Green. But like Reiter said, they (horror fans) just want studio crud and remakes and that’s what they’re getting.
From what I’ve been reading, theaters started dropping the movie on Friday. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more to this than the film’s lackluster weekend gross.
Jason Bené Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
If it is true it was dropped on Friday, it could have done 100k plus over three days, maybe more.
Alex Scott-Webster Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
It definitely wasn’t dropped everywhere on Friday but from various people on Twitter have mentioned that it started getting pulled from some theaters on Friday.
MOMO Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
it was dropped on Sunday. The AMC on citywalk california had its final run on Sunday. then pulled it!
Brad Reiter Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 7:21 am
It was dropped other places before Sunday. Mostly all of Canada pulled the movie on Friday and across the US they followed. By Sunday a lot of the theaters had already pulled it.
It’s BS, but like Green said, something like Hatchet II didn’t need to be touted as unrated. Wish ‘Night of the Demons’ remake would have gone theatrically unrated. It just sucks either way.
BUT horror fans – buy Hatchet II on DVD when it streets!